Unexpected Serenity
by scifislasher
Summary: [SPD] It was rare to see Jack looking this peaceful and her fingers started itching for her easel or a sketch pad. JackSyd


Unexpected Serenity

Walking tiredly into the rec. room, Syd was just about to grab the brush she'd left in there and go back to her room when she stopped suddenly.

Jack was crashed out on one of the sofas, which couldn't be comfortable, but apparently didn't have any effect on his sleep. Well, it wasn't as if sleeping in uncomfortable places was something Jack wasn't used to. He must have had night watch the night before if he was resorting to sleeping on couches, though. She smiled as she took the moment to study the features of her squad leader, the artist in her noting the light and subsequent shadows playing out across his face.

On the other hand, the friend in her noted that it was rare to see Jack look this peaceful. Awake, he had almost as much energy as Bridge - always full of life, even while he was lounging in his chair and pretending he wasn't paying attention to anything. He had so many different expressions but at the same time he revealed so little about himself and the contradiction was annoying. Also intriguing. It didn't hurt that Jack was easy on the eyes either, she mentally added and despite herself she felt her cheeks heating slightly even as her fingers started itching for her easel or drawing pad.

More used to painting, she didn't really sketch things anymore, save for the outlines of what she was painting. She was definitely out of practice. Moving quietly across the room Syd was careful not to make any noise that would disturb Jack but also not to move so stealthily it would trip off his mental alarm bells. It was quite a balancing act and she was quite proud of the fact that she managed it without too much difficulty. Settling herself in the chair that would best capture the light, making the most of how the sun was falling across his face, she opened the drawing pad and turned to the first blank page. Content that she had the best conditions, she started to draw.

Absorbed as she was, it came as something of a surprise when she looked over for confirmation of a few small details and found brown eyes looking back at her.

"How long have you been awake?" she demanded after the immediate flush of embarrassment at being caught drawing him retreated and he grinned.

"A while. I didn't want to disturb you, it looked like you were concentrating."

"Well, I _was_," she snapped, not that she'd be able to concentrate now, not with the full force of Jack Landors' full attention on her.

Still grinning, Jack held up his hands back in innocence. "Sorry. I can go back to sleep if you want."

She shook her head. "No, it's okay. I was practically done anyway." Mostly.

Sitting up properly Jack lounged back against the sofa and studied her for a moment. "Can I see?" he asked hesitantly and she paused, unsure if she really wanted him to see this. It was one thing to paint him when he knew she was doing it and they were surrounded by their other team-mates but to sketch him while he was asleep… that was something else entirely. More personal, more… intimate almost, assuming a familiarity she wasn't sure she had the right to.

Still, he knew she'd been drawing him and if she hid it he'd always be wondering why. "Okay," she said finally and handed the sketch pad over. Turning it round to look at it properly, Jack's eyes widened and try as she might Syd couldn't decipher his expression. She just hoped that didn't mean he hated it.

"This is really good," he said softly a moment later. "I mean, I know you paint and everything but I didn't know you were this good at just drawing."

Firmly keeping her blushes in check, Syd tossed her curls and shrugged. "I don't do much of it," she answered, pleased with the genuine compliment. In her family's usual social circle she was used to insincere platitudes and meaningless flatteries and Jack's simple appreciation was all the more important because it was genuine, sincere. "I usually prefer painting, most of the time." But this time she just hadn't been able to resist and she prayed desperately that he didn't question _why_ she'd felt the need to draw him.

When he handed the pad back she closed it and set it down beside her. There were still some minor details she wanted to work on but she could do that later, when she was back in her room and Z was off doing something else, because if her roommate caught wind of this she would never live it down.


End file.
